New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-19
THOMAS.

lbs most remarkable thing about this htUie
history is that il is quite true. III knew ho"
would make II into real story going Oh iiol
month TO month in q magaz inc. But couio heNor
invent the love-malsing and without low s,onnc
Is nothing. l should never KNOW ior ihs'aii0,'
what TO make May and the Doctor say 10 each
other So | had better put down Thomas 5 sVoi9
INST as il all hap encd and leave fiction TO cle'erer
folk .,.. r,x,
Some years ago. twenty and more, aiter ny
husband died lived in what was then a new s'rcoV
near Wcstbourne Terrace 1t consisted Oh wv
rows OF houses-very ugly houses outside thoush
inside they were comfortable enough. hau 'hrco
little girls; the eldest, May was JUST u'e' d
pretty little thing with golden hair and biue eyes.
1 often wish had had her portrait palh'eo -"
otbars were o,te tiny-four, and two and q nall
sI,be last WIS born week before the news came
from India that her father had died OF suislo y,
f,rnosito TO lis there was house 10 be leu L or
n long time it was quite empty. bill in the WINDOW
dirt on the windows, dust on the steps, dreay anu
deserted. Suddenly one morning, though 'ne ol
was not taken down, the windows were cleaned
.he stems swept and q small cart load OF shappy
furniture carried in. Evidently caret aker hau
been put In charge, and was giad OIL H. ioi ~
is never very safe to leave house aosoi",oN
empty l used to sit by the window good ueaI
and knit had so much TO think about thaU
could NOT settle to anything else. Books were
never much in my way, and as for going OUT
never cared for it much even as girl 90 useu
to sit and knit, seeing through the thlck screch
plants on the window-sll all that went on IN .ne
street. Sometimes l saw the caretaker opposite
going in and out he and his vile and Their TWO
little children. lie looked very Respectable, Duo
broken down and terribly thin; he was evidently
far gone in consumption. The woman sechicu
worried and anxious as well she might, poor soul !;
and in her arms there was always skinny IVue
baby her third child. They were OF the ARTISAN ARTISAN
class and were very poor, of course, or they woud
not have been taking care of an empty house
used to wonder if they had enough to eat 1or they
all looked white and thin and half starved
: The next time l went to the landlords Office
asked about them. and was told that they were
respectable Cornish people, but Corn"an was wa,
starvation now, and there was nothing lor any
one to do They had come to London a few years
before and the man, who was mechanic hau
kept his family wei till lie broke down IN heai'h
lie could do nothing now, was an outdoor patient
Mt Brompton Hospital, and had only the allowance
from his club, and the few shllllnss MS WIG
sometimes earned by going out to work
There was large leg OF mutton for the children
dinner the next day. l cut of half dozen good
slices put them between two hot dishes with some
vegetables, and sent them to the CORNISH loik'
They were very grateful, the servant sald, Wheh
she returned and the dishes were brought back
by the little boy with Fathers much obliged, and
IL did him q world of good" One day box OF
flowers came from the country, so made up q
nosegay and sent it across to tie poor wasted
looking carctalScr. This brought the "oDlan Wi'h
tears in her eyes, to thank me.
~My husband he do like to smell u noWcr,
maamD she said. Its many day now since
he has seen them growing In the ground men
1 asked her if might so and see him sometimes
or ncrhaps he would like paper and some DOCKS
now and then? The wOman's face Drshteheu
HE would be pleased. ma'am, indeed, she SAD
"It's long since any one went to talk to him. ana
1 often think it's dun for him. doubt II nave
him much longer" she added simply; "and lts
likely YOU can feel for me, ma'am
SO / went over TO see Mr.. Lobb. lie was slItlhe
by the fire. warming his long thin hands
81 am glad to zee you, ma am, he said, with the
almost perfect manner one sometimes finds among
working PEOPLE who have not lived much In towls.
II would have come over TO thank you lor your
kindness but feared you might think II liberty
/ spend most of my time trying TO keep warm by
bit OF fire.
He was very simple and kindly. lie knew that
he was going TO die, and faced it like man. lie
smoke of il without fear aiiectatlon IL WORRIES
me TO think of the wife and children" he sad.
"A man should not marry as l did Win hoIhiIis
nut by. / subscribed to club of course, and IL 5
Eert us from starving, and it'll bury me, but that
MI ought TO have saved before l married. ana
80 ought every man. One is always so sure one Is
going TO live when one feels strong. wen, uou Is
good and He'll take care Of them, he added win
a sigh, and month later III that simple laiIh hc
died.
linen II became QutStiOH Vi Miie was " ~ "'i'~
with the widow and children. The woman was
delicate there was the skinny baby, little girl OF
sx called Oracle, and ThOmas-they always called
him by his full old-fashioned name-who was ten,
or barely ten
Il would like to stay in London there's more
going Oh, and I'd be more likely TO get something
the poor Woman said, when proposal was made
10 send her back to her native place lhey DC
very poor in Cornwall where / come from; II
would be no good going back father and mother
are dead, and there was only one other OF us, my
brother ice and he went off 10 Melbourne long ago.
Couldn't you send to him = asked; he
might do something for YOU"
81 have sent, ma'am,' she answered; "but l
don't know if he's got the letter. We never Kept
much count of his address. for he never had the
same one long together. don't expect he'd DC
able to do much he was never much OF q mana al
helping himself, let alone others
So we got toyethcr a little money and bought her
a mangle She went TO live in two rooms close by
md lust kept soul and body together for herself
and children by mansling and occasionally going
out to Work.
Suddenly one day my houscmaid went off with
out q moments notice to her mother who was Ill
and poor Mrs. Lobb was unable to come and hclr
us on account of her baby. II can't bear 10 re-
fuse, the moor thing said, but the little baby Is
that bad with bronchitus / doubt if l keep it
through the winter.
Then it was that Thomas first came into oui
lives / had hardly noticed him before, except as
a little dark haired boy too small for his age he
morning after Jane went, was told he wanted IL
see mo l remember the interview well as If IL
were yesterday. was in the dining room when he
knocked Come in. I said, and in came Thomas
lie stepped just inside and pulled his front hair
Evidently he had been instructed that that was
the correct way of making bow.
"Pcase mum" he said sly1y, smother says as
how you have no housemaid so l came to ask il
you would like nSv TO helm Dlt.%
you, Thomas!"
Please. mum, 1 docs for mother, sweeps and
scrubs and dusts and washes up the things. Mother
said Was to tell you could clear knives and
boots beautiful" He looked down as he said the
hast words, as though he felt ashamed at praising
himself, and nothing but necessity would have
driven him tn do IL